Anika Tonpo
 | |
| No. 9 – Lorain Firestorm | |
|---|---|
| Position | Swingfur |
| Species | Fossa ( Eupleridae ) |
| Gender | Female |
| Personal information | |
| Born |
July 10, 2000 Charlotte Amalie, US Virgin Islands |
| Nationality | |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Shoots | Right-handed |
| Career information | |
| School | University Virgin Islands |
| FBA draft | 2020 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall |
| Selected by the Lorain Firestorm | |
| Pro playing career | 2020–present |
| Career history | |
| 2020 - present | Lorain Firestorm |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Contract information | |
| Contract year | 2022 |
| 2023 Salary | $10.5 million |
| 2024 Salary | $10.5 million |
| 2025 Salary | $11 million |
| 2026 Salary | $11 million |
| Player Contacts | |
| (IC) Agent | JWolfman |
| (OOC) Creator | JWolfman |
| (OOC) Actor | Unknown |
| (OOC) Usage | Ask me before any use |
Biography
Anika was born and raised in a well-sheltered home with two brothers (Chad and Ian) within Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the US Virgin Islands (more specifically on the island of St. Thomas). Both of her parents were successful travel agents but also worked as basketball and soccer coaches at Charlotte Amalie High School. Her father was in fact a player for the Tucson Demons for three seasons before a heart condition led to his early retirement.
As the youngest of three, Anika often competed with her brothers at home and outside, striving to earn the best school grades, winning the most affection from her parents, and eventually in basketball in the case of her brother Ian while Chad leaned toward bodybuilding and became too bulky for the sport. Although Ian and Anika played basketball in high school, Anika focused on the sport more seriously as she joined the basketball team for University Virgin Islands as a freshman. She quickly earned her way into the starting spot as a Shooting Guard but also often slotted into the role of Small Forward, and by her sophomore season, she became the team captain. Outside of basketball she also earned money by modeling for tourism stock photos and fashion photoshoots.
In 2019, Anika accepted the invitation to become a player for the US Virgin Islands in the Pan American Games in Peru. Playing in such an international field was highly stressful, but Anika and her team were shockingly successful, earning their way to the Gold Medal game against Venezuela. After forcing the game into overtime, Anika’s 32 points and 10 assists along with a key steal in the final minute of the game led to US Virgin winning the gold medal for the first time in their history at the Pan American Games for basketball. During this time, she attracted the attention of the Albany Alphas’ Narkissa Kassius whom was watching the games on television. She personally flew down to Peru to meet Anika in person, and during conversation she planted the seed in her mind about the prospect of declaring for the FBA Draft.
In March of 2020, UVI earned their way into the FCAA basketball tournament for the first time as a 16th seed in the tournament’s Southern Division. With their upset victory against top-seeded Biloxi State, Anika suddenly propelled herself into the national spotlight, and as a result her name appeared on the lists by many FBA scouts. After defeating North Carolina Wolfpack in the next round, the team finally exited the tournament once they lost against Vanderbarn University. Soon afterwards, Anika finally declared to enter the FBA Draft.
Many scouts and analysts realized that the primary reason why she wasn’t featured as a major prospect for the FBA was because of UVI’s isolation. Carribean universities tend to go under the radar in comparison to the major FCAA powerhouses. She would easily be considered a top ten prospect due to her excellent defensive knowledge and decent scoring accuracy. Quick on her feet and hands, it’s a common sight for her to swipe the ball off an opponent’s hands and drive down the other end of the court for a fast layup.
Stories
Pre-Draft Stories
- Story:Mehson: The Anika Story - One
- Story:Mehson: The Anika Story - Two
- Story:Mehson: The Anika Story - Three
